‘How families of COVID-19 patients cope with isolation’

Families of four among the confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in Bauchi State have said that they are missing their loved ones.

Dajuma Adamu Barde, a sibling to one of the isolated patients, told NAIJA LIVE TV that it was only the fear of the gun that hindered them from seeing their sick brother considering the heavy security around the centre.

“We love our elder brother who is our pride and the pillar in our family. How would it be possible for us to keep away from him because of being tested positive for COVID-19? After all, we are sure that he will recover.”

On his part, Samaila Muhammed, who said since he grew up together with his elder brother, it will not be proper to keep a distance from him just because he has been tested positive for coronavirus.

“No matter the kind of disease he contacted, it is improper to avoid him, but since the law demands that he should be isolated pending his recovery, that was why we had to obey the instructions.”

Muhammed further explained that before it became known that his brother had contacted the virus, he did not exhibit any sign or symptom. However, the test carried out on him confirmed he was an index case.

“Despite his interaction with positive coronavirus case, he did not agree of having the virus, but after doctors confirmed him positive, he accepted to stay at the isolation centre. The samples of all the family members who interacted with him were taken for evaluation.”

Public affairs analyst, Muhammad Jibril Sogjji, said that COVID-19 patients are not supposed to be stigmatised saying, “You can see that Governor Bala Mohammed has recovered from the virus and even attended Jummaat prayers at the Bauchi Central Mosque. Although he wore protective gears like face mask and hand gloves and observed the social distancing measures without any form of stigmatisation or rejection.”

Sagiji explained that poverty alone is capable of preventing people from stigmatising the victims of COVID-19 because a majority of the patients are wealthy individuals who have control over resources.

“So, how do you expect the people to stigmatise or keep away from coronavirus patients? They must show love, care to them, not to talk of doctors who have not yet declared that the virus is not curable.”

Out of all the confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 disclosed in Bauchi state, only the name of Governor Bala Abdukadir Mohammed was made public, which was done with his consent because the medical ethics prohibits disclosing health status of patients without their consent.

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